Canal & River Trust appoints Volunteering Advisory Group

Eight volunteering experts have been appointed to the Canal & River Trust’s new advisory committee. The committee, chaired by Dr Justin Davis Smith CBE, will provide the Trust’s management with strategic advice regarding volunteering.

Volunteering is a cornerstone of the Trust and we want to encourage many more people to get involved with their local canal or river.
Caroline Killeavy

Volunteering has long played a vital role on the nation’s historic waterways and the Canal & River Trust is committed to building on this tradition and creating new opportunities for volunteers. It is the Trust’s aim to have 10,000 regular volunteers contributing over 120,000 days to waterway management, conservation, promotion and restoration by 2022.

Outstanding representatives

Head of community engagement, Caroline Killeavy, said: “Volunteering is a cornerstone of the Trust and we want to encourage many more people to get involved with their local canal or river. This new Advisory Committee brings together nine outstanding representatives from the volunteering and waterways sector.

"I am delighted that we will be able to benefit from the experience and skills of these exceptional people and I am looking forward to working closely with the group to develop and grow our volunteering offer.”

The members are: Dr Helen Timbrell – Volunteering and Community Involvement Director with the National Trust, Georgia Boon – Head of Volunteering with Oxfam, Chris Kay – Chairman and Director of the Boat Museum Society at the National Waterways Museum, Mike Palmer – Inland Waterway Association Trustee and Waterway Recovery Group Chairman, John Stopp – Waterway Volunteer and Member of Manchester & Pennine Waterways Partnership, Gennie Franklin – Director of Programmes and Employee Volunteering at Business in the Community, Rosie Cotgreave – v inspired and Tracey O’Brien – Director of Policy and Programmes with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council.